The late-spring heat is getting to my head, apparently: I purchased this iced tea (?!) from a gourmet coffee specialist’s booth (?!) without asking what tea it was until later (?!).
…Strange decision-making. I don’t usually seek out iced tea, but it was hot. I didn’t have any tea on me. I think I assumed that, since Mr. Coffee Guy carries such a great international collection of gourmet coffee beans, he’d have the wisdom to not brew something as grocery as Lipton tea. But apparently, Lipton is admittedly good enough.
Despite the minor sacrilege as a tea person to say so, this Lipton really was a good iced tea, even without additives. Basic, but unoffensive, and refreshing. A bit bitter and astringent, but much less so than your average food service tea. Enough body to feel substantial and thirst-quenching. It had a nice bright malty tint to the flavor too. And apparently, it’s easy to get right, since a coffee booth can brew it well enough.
This does well for what it is – a convenient brew for a standard iced black tea. It doesn’t pretend to be anything special, so it doesn’t have to be. Maybe sometimes tea doesn’t have to be so complicated – if it’s simple, decent, accessible, and suits the moment or season, it’s a good tea already.
